1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic photography using a liquid developer, the technique generally comprises developing electrostatic latent images formed on a photosensitive member electronic photography with a liquid developer, transferring the developed figures to a transfer material, and cleaning the said photosensitive body after transferring for reuse.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Various methods of electrophotography have been reported. Among them the following are commonly employed.
The first is a process in which a layer such as, for example, of a ZnO-resin binder system and a polyvinylcarbozol is formed on the surface of a supporting material generally of paper or a resin film which has been made electroconductive. The layer is statically charged uniformly, and electrostatic latent images are formed by irradiating the layer surface with original figures. The formed images are developed with a developer either in a dry or wet process, and are then fixed on the photoelectroconductive layer, (for example, by heating) to obtain a duplicate. This process belongs to the field of non-tranfer electrophotography.
The second is a process in which a conductive layer, for instance, of amorphous selenium and of the ZnO-resin binder system on a supporting material generally of a metal plate, is charged uniformly: Electrostatic latent images are formed by irradiating the surface with original figures, and are developed with a dry developer; The developed figures are transferred to a material such as a sheet of paper and fixed by heating to obtain a duplicate. The photoconductive layer can be repeatedly used after being cleaned.
The third is a process in which electrostatic latent images are formed on a photosensitive plate having on the immediate surface a photoelectroconductive layer, for example, of CdS and further on it an insulating layer is submitted to the corona charging uniformly on the whole surface, irradiated with original figures with simultaneous corona charging of the reversed phase or the alternating current charging, uniformly exposed to light to form electrostatic latent images, which are subsequently developed with a dry developer and the developed figures are transferred to a material such as a sheet of paper and are then fixed by heating to obtain a duplicate. The photosensitive plate can be repeatedly used after being cleaned.
The processes referred to as the second and the third kinds belong to the field of transfer.
Transfer electrophotography using a liquid developer has not been developed to practical use owing to various technical difficulties.